Days to Pray

Days to Pray

Last week my blog post focused on our need to pray for our government leaders and specifically for the upcoming elections.

I also mentioned the moral downward spiral we seem to be caught up in and cited the famous quote by the Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville: “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” 

Today, I want to suggest a helpful website titled, “Intercessors for America.”   It contains a wealth of information, including prayer alerts, event information, prayer groups to join, and more. 

One of my favorite features is the “30 Ways to Pray for People in Authority.”  It gives 30 different brief prayers, using scripture passages as a guide for each one. We can repeat these month after month.

For instance, prayers #9-11, go as follows: “9. That they value and regard the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Christ. (Psalm 19:7-11, John 8:31-32) 10. That they respect and honor their own parents if living. (Ephesians 6:2-3) 11. That they respect authority and practice accountability. (Romans 13:1-7)” 

If you (or your church) are interested in additional information about this guide and the other features, simply go to the web address and find the link for “30 Ways to Pray for People in Authority.” It’s located under, “Prayer Guides and Resources.” Here is the website: ”http://www.ifapray.org/ .

No matter what country you live in, you can certainly pray these prayers. We’re all instructed to pray for those in authority wherever we live. 

In an article titled, “Praying for Those in Authority is a Biblical Command,” Franklin Graham wrote, ”Should we not be diligently praying that God would give our president, Congress and military leaders wisdom? Our senators and governors and council members need our prayers—even if they are not the candidates we voted for. ... When the Scripture says that the ‘kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water’ (Proverbs 21:1), it means that a Sovereign God can turn the heart of a king at any time and in any way. If there are policies and platforms that don’t conform to biblical ethics, the intercession of Christians can be used in a powerful, transforming way.”*

We’ve heard it said that the US 2016 Presidential Election may be the most important ever. Here are some compelling reasons** to pray for the upcoming elections:

1. The Bible commands us to pray for those who are in leadership. This should certainly include those who are vying to become leaders.

2. Godly leaders can help slow the erosion of religious liberties in our land. This can provide an increased window of opportunity for the Church to pray and evangelize.

3. According to Scripture, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34, NASB). The selection of leaders who understand and lead according to God’s righteous standards can bring great blessing to a nation.

4. Scripture also says, “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors” (Proverbs 11:14, NIV). The determination of who leads our nation will also determine who advises that leader and how we are guided.   

We only have 89 more days to pray for Election 2016.

Let’s just do it! 

* https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/october-2014/praying-for-our-leaders/

** http://harvestprayer.com/resources/pray-for-america/2016-election-prayer-guide

 

©Connie Wohlford 2016